Julia Child's Hungarian Shortbread By Charles

Total Time: 1 hr 5 mins Preparation Time: 25 mins Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

• 1 lb rhubarb, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 vanilla bean
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 lb unsalted butter, room temperature
• 4 large egg yolks
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Recipe

• 1 the jam:.
• 2 place rhubarb, sugar& water in a saucepan.
• 3 split the vanilla bean and scrape the soft seeds into the pan, (keep the pod for further use in another recipe).
• 4 bring to a simmer over low heat, cook stirring often until the rhubarb is soft.
• 5 cool the jam.
• 6 shortbread:.
• 7 whisk the flour, baking powder& salt together, set aside.
• 8 in another bowl beat the butter until it is pale and fluffy.
• 9 add the egg yolks& sugar and beat until until the sugar is disolved and you have a light mixture.
• 10 with you mixer on low speed slowly add the flour mixture, mix only until the ingredients are incorporated.
• 11 turn the dough out on you cutting board, cut in half and form each half into a ball, wrap each ball in plastic wrap.
• 12 freeze the dough for at least 30 minutes.
• 13 assembling& baking:.
• 14 preheat oven to 350f with rack in center of the oven.
• 15 remove one ball of dough from the freezer and grate the dough into a 9x12" baking pan (use large hole side of your 4 sided grater).
• 16 pat the dough- don't press it, so it gets evenly spread in the pan getting right into the corners too.
• 17 spread with the rhubard jam (or jam, preserve of your choice).
• 18 grate the remaining ball of dough on top, pat gently so it is evenly spread.
• 19 bake for apprx 40 minutes or until it is golden.
• 20 as soon as you take the pan from the oven dust the shortbread with confectioner's sugar and cool to room temperature on a rack.
• 21 cut into bars.
• 22 the size& shape is up to you.
• 23 it is nice served with a dab of whipped cream.